New Chief of Staff at CBP, López, offers little law enforcement experience

The new Chief of Staff at Customs and Border Protection office, Marco López Jr., offers little law enforcement experience and plenty of bureaucratic know how. His young age makes him a curious choice for such a complex position that is responsible for coordinating multiple agencies and tracking different facets of law enforcement business.

López formerly served as a Senior Advisor for the office of the Commissioner where he assisted in the Department of Homeland Security transition. Before joining the CBP López also served as Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce where he was appointed by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.

López started his career as Mayor of Nogales, Arizona, his hometown, right out of college at age 22. He was successfully reelected in 2002 where he served just one more year before leaving to work with Napolitano in the State Capitol.

His public sector career was just beginning under Napolitano’s tutelage. A statement from CBP explains López’s experience; “He previously worked in various capacities in the Governor’s office for five years including a Senior Adviser to the Governor, Vice-Chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and Policy Adviser for Mexico and Latin America.”

Moving in the direction of placating the Mexican government, Lopez offers the CBP agency a bounty of experience. The CBP statement further explained his experience in this area; “Additionally, López served as the Executive Director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission before ascending to the top policy position. During his time at the Governor’s Office, López played a vital role in policy development regarding immigration, border security, and trade. As part of his key responsibilities, López helped establish relationships between the State of Arizona and foreign consulates and leaders.”

Based on his previous experience, one could say he’d have been better suited to serve as DHS Liaison to the Mexican Consulate Offices given his lack of law enforcement experience let alone lack of credentials in agency expertise, according to agency insiders.

It looks like it will be business as usual for the Commissioner’s office at CBP.